Sussex Support Services: Victoria Pavilion Arts
Wealden District Council’s commitment to investing in community and environment is at the heart of its long-standing vision for a greener, fairer and kinder district for present and future generations. Essential community projects and services receive support through the Wealden Community Grants Programme that reaches far beyond financial value. These funding opportunities help nurture local services, protect vital safe spaces and ensure that help is close to home for those who need it most. The story of Sussex Support Service (SSS) CIC and its Victoria Pavilion Arts project is a clear example of this legacy at work.
In 2025, Wealden District Council awarded SSS £7,500 per annum across the three year period (April 2025 – March 2028) through the Wealden Community Grants programme, to help sustain and expand the Victoria Pavilion Arts programme in Uckfield. The centre focuses on supporting people living with dementia and their carers, alongside individuals facing grief, mental health challenges or difficult personal circumstances. The funding has enabled the continuation and further development of participatory arts programmes and, crucially, allowed the Arts Development Coordinator role to increase from 16 to 30 hours per week. This expansion has strengthened the project’s reach and ensured that more people can access creative, emotional and social support.
For visitors like Penelope Parker, the centre has been transformative. Following the loss of her husband in early 2025, Penelope found comfort, purpose and a renewed sense of belonging at Victoria Pavilion Arts. She described the centre as “a reason to get up in the morning” and spoke openly about how the art sessions helped her navigate profound grief. Attending courses, connecting with others and simply having a place where she felt welcomed made an enormous difference. “Being able to come somewhere and do art, to be the artist, really, really helped me,” she said. “When I come here, it’s joy.”
Helen Preston, Arts Development Coordinator, sees this impact every day. Victoria Pavilion Arts offers creative sessions for adults and young people, including those unable to access mainstream schooling due to their needs. Participants arrive for many reasons: grief, loneliness, caring responsibilities, long-term illness or mental health difficulties. Helen explains that the sessions give them space to breathe, connect and build confidence in a supportive, non-judgemental environment. Creativity is the tool, but community is the outcome.
The centre operates as part of a wider network of services provided by Sussex Support Service, including day support for people with dementia, a repair café and carers’ groups. Helen describes the approach as holistic, where one service naturally leads into another, helping individuals and families find continuity of care within a space they trust.
Helen says that receiving the Wealden Community Grant from Wealden District Council, along with securing on-going funding through the Wealden Community Lottery has been vital, enabling more activities and giving service users reassurance that the support they rely on will continue. For many, she notes, the centre has been a lifeline, and the stability this funding has offered has been deeply meaningful.
Looking forward, Helen sees the project as central to building resilience within the community. By supporting people across generations and through different stages of life, Victoria Pavilion Arts helps individuals face challenges with confidence, connection and creativity. This enduring impact reflects the legacy that Wealden District Council strives to achieve: a district strengthened by compassion, enriched by opportunity and united by shared spaces that bring people together.
Through practical support, creative engagement and compassionate connection, Wealden District Council’s funding is helping to shape a stronger, more resilient future for Uckfield and the wider district.
Our community. Our environment. Our Wealden.
